ASKING WHAT WILL PLEASE GOD

REFERENCE SCRIPTURE: “And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.” (1 Kings 3:10).

FOUNDATION: Prayer is the meeting point between God and man. It is in the place of prayer that intercessions are made to God. Prayer is also a platform to praise or thank God for His goodness. Furthermore, prayer provides an opportunity for God to reveal Himself to man. In spite the important place of prayer in the lives of believers, it is still the most misunderstood and abused privilege among Christians.

The first recorded prayer in the Bible is in Genesis 4:26: “And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD. ”To call upon the name of the Lord is to pray to God. Writing in Romans 10:13, Apostle Paul explained, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. ”It also means that prayer is a platform for refuge and salvation.

LESSONS:

Put God First:
For obvious reasons, the mere calling upon the name of the Lord has not helped many believers. It is so because Jesus taught in Matthew 6:33that “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. ”God is pleased with prayers that seek the good of people. It explains why Solomon prayed for understanding but God gave him more than he asked. To underscore the importance of understanding, Proverbs 4:7 teaches that “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” Lack of understanding is the reason for self-centeredness, which is contrary to the new commandment Jesus gave in John 13:34: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you.” According to James 4:3,“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”1 Corinthians 10:24therefore teaches that “Let no man seek his own, but (each) his neighbor’s good.”(ASV). Solomon sought the good of his people.

Put Others Ahead of Self:
Every believer has been called to the ministry of service to God and man. You cannot be genuinely concerned about the welfare of indigent people and God will not bless you. In Mark 14:7, Jesus reminded believers that “You always have the poor among you, and they badly need your help.”(TLB). Speaking in parable in Matthew 25:41-45, Jesus said, “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.” It means that Jesus is interested in us being our brothers’ keepers. God is not interested in the death of our enemies. Pray for the salvation of unsaved souls. Pray for the grace to lead unsaved people to Him. Also pray for the grace to be in a position to assist people in need.

CONCLUSION:
1 Kings 3:11-13 says, “God said unto Solomon, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; 12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. 13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like thee.”

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